Tierra de Campos

Tierra de Campos ("Land of Fields") is a large historical and natural region or greater comarca that straddles the provinces of León, Zamora, Valladolid and Palencia, in Castile and León, Spain. It is a vast, desolate plain with practically no relief, except for some wide undulations of the terrain.
Originally it was known as "Gothic Plains" (Campi Gothici or Campi Gothorum), as the area had been settled by Visigoths who fled from Aquitaine Gaul after its conquest by the Franks. It was first mentioned under this name in Codex Vigilanus (Codex Albeldensis), and described as extending "from the river Douro, to the Christian Kingdom".
Despite the strong identity of its inhabitants, this historical region has not been able to achieve the necessary legal recognition for its administrative development. Therefore, its municipalities have resorted to organizing themselves in a mancomunidad, the only legal formula that has allowed the region to manage its public municipal resources meaningfully. Palencia is widely considered to be the capital of the Tierra de Campos.
Geography
"Tierra de Campos" is located on a fertile, elevated plateau with an average height of around , its geography is typical of the Meseta Central. The ground is mostly made up of quite compact clay. The climate is continental with long, cold winters and short, hot summers. Rivers naturally irrigating the area are sparse and traditionally the land in Tierra de Campos has been used for dryland farming. The Channel of Castile, which cuts across this comarca, was developed for transport purposes but developed into an irrigation system. Some of the wetlands in Tierra de Campos, like the Laguna de la Nava de Fuentes and the Lagunas de Villafáfila, are important for the ecology of the region.
There are few natural forested areas left. The Tierra de Campos is the place with the highest concentration of bustard in the Iberian Peninsula, and possibly in the world.
There is no unanimous agreement regarding the precise boundaries of the Tierra de Campos. Since it is a natural and traditional region, no official limits have ever been assigned. One of the most widely accepted system of boundaries has been the following:
In the north: The foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains between Sahagún and Carrión de los Condes.
In the east: The Carrión and Pisuerga river basins.
In the south: The hills of Montes Torozos and the Sequillo river basin.
In the west: The Salinas de Villalpando and the Cea River further north.
Municipalities
León Province
Almanza
Bercianos del Real Camino
Calzada del Coto
Campazas
Castilfalé
Castrotierra de Valmadrigal
Cea
Cebanico
Cimanes de la Vega
Corbillos de los Oteros
Escobar de Campos
Fuentes de Carbajal
Fresno de la Vega
Gordaliza del Pino
Gordoncillo
Grajal de Campos
Gusendos de los Oteros
Izagre
Joara
Joarilla de las Matas
Matadeón de los Oteros
Matanza
Sahagún
Santa Cristina de Valmadrigal
Valdemora
Valderas
Vallecillo
Valverde-Enrique
Villamoratiel de las Matas
Villamartín de Don Sancho
Villabraz
Villamol
Villaselán
Villazanzo de Valderaduey
Zamora Province
Belver de los Montes
Cañizo
Castroverde de Campos
Cerecinos de Campos
Cotanes del Monte
Granja de Moreruela
Manganeses de la Lampreana
Prado
Quintanilla del Monte
Quintanilla del Olmo
Revellinos
San Agustín del Pozo
San Cebrián de Castro
San Esteban del Molar
San Martín de Valderaduey
Tapioles
Vega de Villalobos
Vidayanes
Villafáfila
Villalba de la Lampreana
Villalobos
Villalpando
Villamayor de Campos
Villanueva del Campo
Villar de Fallaves
Villárdiga
Villarrín de Campos
Valladolid Province
Aguilar de Campos
Barcial de la Loma
Becilla de Valderaduey
Berrueces
Bolaños de Campos
Bustillo de Chaves
Cabezón de Valderaduey
Cabreros del Monte
Castrobol
Castroponce
Ceinos de Campos
Cuenca de Campos
Fontihoyuelo
Gatón de Campos
Herrín de Campos
La Unión de Campos
Mayorga
Medina de Rioseco
Melgar de Abajo
Melgar de Arriba
Monasterio de Vega
Montealegre de Campos
Moral de la Reina
Morales de Campos
Palazuelo de Vedija
Pozuelo de la Orden
Quintanilla del Molar
Roales de Campos
Saelices de Mayorga
San Pedro de Latarce
Santa Eufemia del Arroyo
Santervás de Campos
Tamariz de Campos
Tordehumos
Urones de Castroponce
Urueña
Valdenebro de los Valles
Valdunquillo
Valverde de Campos
Vega de Ruiponce
Villabaruz de Campos
Villabrágima
Villacarralón
Villacid de Campos
Villafrades de Campos
Villafrechós
Villagarcía de Campos
Villagómez la Nueva
Villalba de la Loma
Villalán de Campos
Villalón de Campos
Villamuriel de Campos
Villanueva de San Mancio
Villanueva de la Condesa
Villanueva de los Caballeros
Villardefrades
Villavellid
Villavicencio de los Caballeros
Palencia Province
Abarca de Campos
Abia de las Torres
Amayuelas de Arriba
Ampudia
Amusco
Arconada
Autilla del Pino
Autillo de Campos
Baquerín de Campos
Bárcena de Campos
Becerril de Campos
Belmonte de Campos
Boada de Campos
Boadilla de Rioseco
Boadilla del Camino
Calzada de los Molinos
Capillas
Cardeñosa de Volpejera
Carrión de los Condes
Castil de Vela
Castrillo de Villavega
Castromocho
Cervatos de la Cueza
Cisneros, Palencia
Espinosa de Villagonzalo
Frechilla
Frómista
Fuentes de Nava
Fuentes de Valdepero
Grijota
Guaza de Campos
Husillos
Itero de la Vega
Lantadilla
Loma de Ucieza
Lomas de Campos
Manquillos
Marcilla de Campos
Mazariegos
Mazuecos de Valdeginate
Meneses de Campos
Monzón de Campos
Moratinos
Nogal de las Huertas
Osornillo
Osorno la Mayor
Palencia
Paredes de Nava
Pedraza de Campos
Perales
Piña de Campos
Población de Arroyo
Población de Campos
Pozo de Urama
Requena de Campos
Revenga de Campos
Ribas de Campos
Riberos de la Cueza
San Cebrián de Campos
San Mamés de Campos
San Román de la Cuba
Santa Cecilia del Alcor
Santoyo
Támara de Campos
Torremormojón
Valde-Ucieza
Valle del Retortillo
Villacidaler
Villada
Villaherreros
Villalcázar de Sirga
Villalcón
Villalobón
Villanueva del Campo
Villamartín de Campos
Villamoronta
Villamuera de la Cueza
Villanueva del Rebollar
Villarmentero de Campos
Villarramiel
Villasarracino
Villaturde
Villaumbrales
Villerías de Campos
Villoldo
Villovieco
Maps of Tierra de Campos areas in different provinces
See also
Tierra del Pan
Comarcas of Spain
References
External links
Tierra de Campos Rural Development Association
La provincia de León y sus comarcas; Cea-Campos
La provincia de León y sus comarcas; Esla-Campos
Laguna de Tamriz - Ecology
La Tierra de Campos y sus bases ecológicas en el siglo XVI
Comarcas of Castile and León
Comarcas of the Province of León
Mancomunidad
Historical regions in Spain
Natural regions of Spain